Related papers: Stable Singularities in String Theory

A bubble of nothing is a spacetime instability where a compact dimension collapses. After nucleation, it expands at the speed of light, leaving "nothing" behind. We argue that the topological and dynamical mechanisms which could protect a…

The subspace of the moduli space of F-theory on K3 over which the coupling remains constant develops new branches at special values of this coupling. These values correspond to fixed points under the SL(2,Z) duality group of the type IIB…

Thin enough black strings are unstable to growing ripples along their length, eventually pinching and forming a naked singularity on the horizon. We investigate how string theory can resolve this singularity. First, we study the…

An interpretation of spacelike singularities in string theory uses target space duality to relate the collapsing Schwarzschild geometry near the singularity to an inflationary cosmology in dual variables. An appealing picture thus results…

We analyse quantum obstructions to classical infinite distance limits in four-dimensional string compactifications with N=1 supersymmetry. Such quantum effects signal a severe departure from the perturbative effective action and can be of…

Starting with exact solutions to string theory on curved spacetimes we obtain deformations that represent gravitational shock waves. These may exist in the presence or absence of sources. Sources are effectively induced by a tachyon field…

We describe how the presence of the antisymmetric tensor (torsion) on the world sheet action of string theory renders the size of the target space a gauge non invariant quantity. This generalizes the R <--> 1/R symmetry in which momenta and…

In the context of (0,2) gauged linear sigma models, we explore chains of perturbatively dual heterotic string compactifications. The notion of target space duality originates in non-geometric phases and can be used to generate distinct…

The perturbative analysis of models of open and closed superstrings presents a number of surprises. For instance, variable numbers of antisymmetric tensors ensure their consistency via generalized Green-Schwarz cancellations and a novel…

The crucial problem of how the dilaton field is stabilized at a phenomenologically acceptable value in string theories remains essentially unsolved. We show that the usual scenario of assuming that the dilaton is fixed by the (SUSY…

The divergence structure of supergravity has long been a topic of concern because of the theory's non-renormalizability. In the context of string theory, where perturbative finiteness should be achieved, the supergravity counterterm…

Perturbation theory in geometric theories of gravitation is a gauge theory of symmetric tensors defined on a Lorentzian manifold (the background spacetime). The gauge freedom makes uniqueness problems in perturbation theory particularly…

We study a set of asymmetric deformations of non-critical superstring theories in various dimensions. The deformations arise as Kaehler and complex structure deformations of an orthogonal two-torus comprising of a parallel and a transverse…

The field content of the two dimensional string theory consists of the dynamical tachyon field and some nonpropagating fields which consist in the topological sector of this theory. We propose in this paper to study this topological sector…

The notion of a holomorphically symplectic manifold can be generalized to the singular one. This paper studies the birational contraction maps between symplectic varieties, and then describes the deformation of a symplectic variety which…

Decoupling limits of physical interest occur in regions of space--time where the string coupling diverges. This is illustrated in the celebrated example of five-branes. There are several ways to overcome this strong-coupling problem. We…

We show that the usual fixed point for 3-d rigid string with topological term appears to be a trivial one, consisting of two decoupled conformal field theories. We further argue that by involving an additional term allowed by symmetries and…

Intersecting branes have been the subject of string model building for several years. This work introduces in detail the toroidal and Z_N-orientifolds, where the main discussion employs the picture of intersecting D6-branes. The derivation…

In this note we observe that, contrary to the usual lore, string orbifolds do not describe strings on quotient spaces, but rather seem to describe strings on objects called quotient stacks, a result that follows from simply unraveling…

The study of $n$-Lie algebras which are natural generalization of Lie algebras is motivated by Nambu Mechanics and recent developments in String Theory and M-branes. The purpose of this paper is to define cohomology complexes and study…